/>i- On January 6, 2025, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released “Labeling of Plant-Based Alternatives to Animal-Derived Foods: Draft Guidance for Industry”, which provides recommendations on best practices for naming and labeling plant-based foods marketed as alternatives to animal-derived products.
- The guidance covers plant-based alternatives to eggs, seafood, poultry, meat, and dairy products, excluding plant-based milk alternatives, which have their own draft guidance.
- When labeling plant-based alternatives, the product name must be prominently displayed on the principal display panel (21 CFR 101.3). The name can be a Standard of Identity (SOI) established by law or regulation, or in the absence thereof, a common or usual name, or an appropriately descriptive statement. FDA has not established specific Standards of Identity for plant-based alternatives by law or regulation. Further, many plant-based products use novel food ingredients without a common or usual name, and so are required to use a descriptive statement.
- FDA recommends that plant-based products should (1) identify the plant source (e.g., soy, almond) and (2) clearly state that the product is not animal-based. The source of the plant-based ingredients should be part of the name, rather than just stating “plant-based.” Omitting a predominant ingredient may be considered misleading.
- The Draft Guidance includes several examples of best practices for labeling. Some examples include the following:
- If a plant-based alternative food includes the name of a standardized food, such as “cheddar cheese,” the SOI should be qualified by the plant source, such as “soy-based cheddar cheese.”
- “Pork-less bacon” is insufficient as it does not distinguish between other plant-based alternative products. “Plant-Based Soy-Bacon” would be a more appropriate name.
- If a product has multiple plant sources, the predominant sources by weight should be included. For example, a veggie patty containing black beans, mushrooms, and other vegetables with black beans as the predominant ingredient should be labeled as “Black Bean Mushroom Veggie Patties.”
- To ensure the FDA considers them, comments on the Draft Guidance must be submitted within 120 days of its publication in the Federal Register, by May 7, 2025.
FDA Releases Draft Guidance on Plant-Based Food Labeling
Wednesday, January 8, 2025
Current Public Notices
Published: 6 January, 2025
Published: 6 January, 2025
Published: 26 December, 2024
Published: 9 December, 2024
